20 killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, the United Nations warned human rights in Afghanistan are in a state of collapse, but the caretaker government spurned the claim as baseless. Also, the US special envoy hailed Kabul’s efforts against Daesh activities.

Key events of last week

• PM Mullah Hassan accepts credentials of Chinese ambassador
• Muttaqi to attend Moscow Farmat meeting
• Torkham gate closure inflicts huge losses on traders
• UN says human rights are in state of collapse; Mujahid: disagrees
• West says IEA efforts effective in suppressing Daesh
• About 18 staff members of NGO detained in Ghor

Casualities

Last week, 20 people were killed and one injured in various incidents across the country.

According to reports, four kidnappers were killed in a clash with security forces and one abducted individual rescued in Kabul.

Unidentified gunmen killed two people, including a 60-year-old woman in Takhar, a former jihadi commander in Nangarhar, a gold panner in Badkhshan. Two people were killed in Faryab and as many in Logar.

Local officials said one person was killed due to a peronal enmity in Faryab, one in Parwan as a result of a dispute and a man accused of robbery and murder was also funned down in “warning fire” in the same province.

One person died during as the hand grenade he carried exploded in Helmand. A man was killed while cleaning his rifle in Jawzjan.  An individual killed his father in Nangarhar and a husband stabbed his wife to death in Faryab.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect numbers.

In the previous week, eight people had been killed and as many injured in different incidents across the country.

Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, security forces and insurgents would get killed and wounded in violent incidents every week.

New Chinese ambassador

Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund on Wednesday accepted the credentials of the newly-appointed ambassador of China.

Ambassador Xing expressed happiness on his new mission in Afghanistan, saying: “It is an honour for me to start my work as the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan”.

He said China fully respected Afghanistan’s independence, territorial integrity and decision-making authority.

The diplomat promised making strenuous effortsto develop and expand relations between the two countries.

Last week, a Chinese firm showed interest in investing in power generating projects in Afghanistan and the Ministry of Water and Engergy tasked a technical team with facilitating the firm.

Moscow farmat meeting

The Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced at a press conference that the next Moscow Format meeting would be held in the city of Kazan. Regional countries will discuss the current situation in Afghanistan, including intra-Afghan issues, reconciliation, security and post-conflict restoration of the country.

“I would like to confirm it will take place on September 29 at Kazan. It will be another, a fifth, Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan with the participation of key regional stakeholders,” Zakharova said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul said that Foreign Mnister Amir Khan Muttaqi would attend the Moscow Farmat meeting.

Arrest of Afghans, closure of Torkham

A clash took placet between Afghan and Pakistani forces at the busy Torkham crossing on September 6.

The caretaker government of Afghanistan says that the Afghan forces reparing an old check-post in the area were targeted by Pakistani guards. This sparked a clash erupted between the two sides.

After the fire exchange, the Torkham crossing remained closed for 10 days, inflecting massive financial losses on traders. Businesspeople from both sides staged a protest for the reopening fo the corssing point.

On Friday, the Torkham gate was reopened for all kinds of traffic.

According to reports, the Pakistani police arrested about 545 Afghan refguees in the country last week. Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said all ‘illegal’ Afghan nationals would be repatriated to their country.

Human rights, girls’ education

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the issue of women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan would be part of the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) agenda.

UN Rights Human Council chief Volker Turk’s remarks came during an interactive dialogue in Geneva on Tuesday.

The collapsing human rights situation was “acutely affecting” the lives of millions of women, men, girls and boys, Turk said.

But Zabihullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that no one’s legal human rights had been violated in Afghanistan.

He said the people or groups, influenced by the western culture, believed Afghanistan should have laws like the West or look at rights from their perspective, something which is not appropriate.

Mujahid said: “Each culture has its own interpretation and each country has its own values. Our values are Islamic and Sharia-based.

“Within the framework of Islam, we ensure people’s rights and we are committed to this. It’s our duty and obligation to reach people’s rights and we have taken steps on this issue.”

Mujahid acknowledged: “There are problems that exist in some cases, like delays in introducing reforms. Work is going on to resolve them.”

Intra-Afghan dialogue

Ex-president Hamid Karzai and the US special representative for Afghanistan have discussed economic issues and intra-Afghan talks for sustainable peace and strengthening stability in the country.

Daesh attacks decline in Afghanistan

US Special Envoy Thomas West said that Daesh attacks had decreased in Afghanistan and efforts by IEA in this area had been effective.

On the other hand, two senior American officials said that according to a “new intelligence assessment” in the US, the IEA had curtailed the activity of the IS in Afghanistan.

The caretaker governemt also claimed that Daesh had been suppressed in Afghaistan and any attack by the group was conducted from some neighbbouring countries.

Employees of NGO held in Ghor

International Assistance Mission (IAM) says 18 of its staff members have been detained by security forces in western Ghor province.

According to a BBC report, the arrested individulas included 15 Afghans and three foreign women.

Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesman for the Ghor governor, confirmed the personnel of of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) had detained 21 members of an international organisation.

Hamas explained an American woman was among those detained for preaching Christianity. The detainees include 14 men and 7 women.

sa/mud